Anti inflammatory Archives - Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Tofu Pepperoni – Easy Plant-Based Protein

Tofu pepperoni is plant-based and a healthy protein snack or topping-add to your pizza without guilt. Below, it’s the new pepperoni 🍕

And even further below is how to make this liked (or disliked) food (depending on the taster), a regular part of your healthy food meal prep for grab-and-go protein. Or add to pizza food.

Unlike regular cured meat-based pepperoni that’s hands-down liked, tofu is a healthy topping sub on pizza. Regular pepperoni is high in saturated fat, sodium and acidity.

But tofu is the opposite. It’s lean. low-sodium, and considered an alkaline food.

If you experience heartburn often from certain foods, tofu pepperoni could be one protein substitution answer.

It’s also a one big block full of calcium, iron, and fiber.

…So when it’s put that way, maybe worth a go?

And maybe help sway your tofu decision in your upcoming grocery trip. Or may open your eyes to make you look at tofu in a new light.

Plus, if saving grocery money matters to you, tofu could be a good protein savings.

Tofu disguised as pepperoni could be the idea to give the creamy protein block a needed new identity (for you). If you can get your mind to agree to the tofu look and taste as similar… or at least agreeable with enough salt and spice tastes added, then you get all its benefits.

And if you’re not too familiar with tofu (or never tried the food before)…

Tofu is the Japanese name.

The other common names are bean curd or soybean curd.

It’s a soy food. You can also find soy in edamame and soy milk where you may know other soy ingredients.

But unlike those soybean products, tofu is easy to find. Today you can find it in most mass grocery stores.

It’s usually in a white container that the protein spongy-looking block looks like it would fit in, and what you find when you get inside the no-mistake-it’s-tofu packaging.

But tofu won’t end up looking like a spongy block after you crumble up the tofu protein. That’s also a legume.

Because it’s soy, it’s a legume.

Legumes are the larger plant-based food category.

It’s a broader category of plant-based foods that gives you a healthy food variety to choose from and additional fiber to add to your diet.

But usually you just call out the food name instead of legumes. Like beans, peanuts, and peas.

And if that’s what you’d like to add more of in your diet, maybe try a 15-bean turmeric soup…

With all the variety out there and plant-forward foods growing abundantly outside, it’s easy to see why natural foods is a forward path to food sustainability.

…And is great for those who don’t eat meat, and for those who do.

Plant-based tofu pepperoni can be the first thing you reach for when you’re hangry for a snack or wondering what to eat.

Spiced up, tofu pepperoni can have similar tastes to meat pepperoni.

Easy-to-find spice powders like paprika and chili powder give a closer-to-pepperoni reddish color.

You can add sharp and punchy spices flavors like fresh garlic powder and cumin. Plus, salt balances well with oregano for an herb-y taste.

Oregano is one of the healthiest antioxidant herb spices on our planet. It has a sweet peppery note and goes well with any savory Italian dish or red tomato sauce.

To make the tofu pepperoni:

From a standard 3″x4″tofu block (14 oz) that comes in a common tofu plastic container found in grocery stores, cut the tofu into 3 long rectangle pieces so then you have 3-3″x 4″ rectangles. A regular bread knife works well for this task as tofu is soft and smooth like butter.

From there, you can cut out the round pepperoni shapes. Since the tofu rectangle is about 3″x 4″, a round cookie cutter about 1-1/2″ (4 cm) works well. I didn’t have a round cookie cutter that size (and you probably don’t either), but I found a 1-1/2″ round spice container top worked perfectly. So look around your pantry and kitchen. A small juice glass could even work.

If you have perfect cuttings, then you can cut out 12 pepperoni that you can then cut again each pepperoni round in half (because they’ll be thick). I like to do it this way because it’s easier to cut smaller flimsy tofu pieces. But you do you!

So you’ll end up with 24 pepperoni plus tofu scraps that you can make into a tofu scramble 🥣 or tofu scrap (a new dish?). 💭

Then, make a spice dip. Add in all the spices you’ll be using with a little water (as the glue), and dip each tofu pepperoni in.

Dust with additional red paprika. I find a tea infuser works for this step because the small, even holes lightly dusts just enough for the reddish color effect (without adding too much of the spice).

Do this with all the pepperoni round slices.

In the process, I found I lost a few because tofu is soft and more delicate to work with. I forgot they weren’t hardy like meat.

Those broken ones went to the edible tofu scrap pile that will also get cooked up.

And in your sautée pan, cook tofu pepperoni rounds for about 15 minutes total, gently flipping over once, about halfway through.

Then they’re ready for eat-alone snacks and on pizzas. They will stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days (and you can also freeze them for longer).

On pizzas, since the tofu is already cooked, you can add them as pepperoni toppings during the last 5 minutes in home pizza oven baking.

And if you want to accompany the tofu rounds with more plant-based eating, you could add herbs and microgreens and make a salad. 🌱

Tofu Pepperoni (Protein and Plant-Based)

This is a way to substitute pepperoni on your pizza or for better protein snacking.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 container tofu
1 Tbsp paprika (plus more for sprinkling)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin (optional)
1 tsp turmeric (will add a light orange color)
1 tsp sumac (optional)
1 tsp salt
water

Instructions

Mix dry ingredients in a separate shallow bowl..
Cut wet tofu block into 3 (3"x4") rectangles. Cut round tofu pepperoni shapes using a round cookie cutter (or a round kitchen item like a round spice lid top for the tofu pepperoni round size you desire). Cut tofu rounds if thicker than 1/4".
Mix spices with a small amount of water (about 1/2 the spice amount). Dip each tofu pepperoni round side in the spiced-water.
Evenly sprinkle additional paprika (for red color) on each tofu pepperoni round. Tip: use a tea infuser with small evenly-spaced holes to maximize pepperoni color effect but not adding too much additional paprika.
On the stovetop, cook tofu pepperoni on medium heat in a skillet for a total of 15 minutes, about 7 minutes on each side (flipping tofu pepperoni rounds once)
Use as a topping to pizza that can be baked in near the end or enjoy the tofu pepperoni as eat-alone snacks. They will last for 3-5 days in the cool part of the refrigerator.

Ceviche – Healthy Shrimp Protein Appetizer

Ceviche is a great shrimp and protein appetizer (or shrimp salad). It’s a healthy snack (or meal) that also brightens a table.

Decorating food tables with food is something I know about having planned hundreds of parties at Mediterranean cuisine restaurants.

And my humble start began creating catered events in American hotels, so making food at home brings it all full circle.

I have history with ceviche that was a hip trend in my catering days that went along with tapas (small plates).

I remember the Spanish restaurant I was at had a menu as big as Cheesecake Factory’s menu (without all the ad pages 😊).

And while I didn’t see ceviche on the menu often, Rosa Mexicano at National Harbor in the DC area was my go-to.

They crushed ripe avocados at your table to make fresh guacamole.

And what’s more exciting than fresh foods… that you can make yourself at home for very little cost! Tasty fresh guac is only a few fresh ingredients.

Avocados are the star and waiting for them to ripen faster is the hardest part if there is any. You can leave at warmer room temperatures on those efforts.

And also place next to other ripe fruit and/or a closed brown paper bag to speed up.

The beauty is perfectly fresh soft/ripe avocado has a short shelf-life of a day or two. A lot like cilantro.

For guacamole with a bite and for your ceviche, you want to use fresh cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro as some don’t, you can use fresh dill or parsley.

And for an unforgettable ceviche, you can lean on the trifecta ingredient effect of: red onions, cilantro (or fresh culinary herb), and lime juice.

If you finely chop the onions, they will be a delight in the melange.

Then you can add supporting healthy food ingredients and enhanced flavors. Like radishes, oranges, and tarragon herb spice added.

This is not a wimpy ceviche.

It’s for foodie tastes, and Chipotle healthy food sensibilities.

And saving the best for last: the protein seafood item.

Seafood is healthy lean protein with zinc that impacts immunity and metabolism, and Omega 3s for optimizing the health of vital organs (heart, brain, and eye health).

It’s an anti-inflammatory category of foods.

You can store seafood (and fish) in the freezer until you’re ready to use.

Shrimp can be one of those staple freezer bags.

One you can bring out anytime and cook up to enjoy with homemade shrimp cocktail sauce (no ketchup). Squid and Old Bay scallops are also a favorite you can pair with your ceviche.

I’m biased about the Old Bay seafood spice blend because I’m from that Delmarva area that douses Old Bay (that’s not an Old Spice deodorant) on everything savory. It’s in the water’s air. And I even douse on my ceviche.

To reel in the ocean-y ceviche appetizer to green land, I added asparagus spears and cilantro stalks. It’s now a salad.

And I made additional ceviche salad with oranges so it’s a tropical salad. Notice the salt rim that’s just too martini glass good.

Ready to make this?

Ceviche with shrimp served in a martini glass.

Ceviche - Shrimp Healthy Protein Meal

This is a healthy light protein filled appetizer, meal, or snack you can enjoy year round with your favorite ingredients. You can share this or enjoy this for yourself!

Course Appetizer

Servings 1 person

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 dozen shrimp (or seafood of choice)
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
10-12 leaves cilantro, finely chopped
2 tsp lime juice (add more as desired)
1 tsp orange juice from a whole orange
1 wedge small orange wedges
2 tsp sweet bell pepper or pimento pepper
2-3 radishes, minced (optional)
1 avocado, small pieces (zhugh on top)
tarragon herb spice (zhugh on shrimp)
salt (for glass rim)

Instructions

Cook the shrimp (or seafoods of choice).
In a bowl, toss onions, cilantros, peppers, radishes, and oranges like a salad with the juices. Let the juice marinade in the salad for a few minutes..
Then add salad to a martini or other presentation glass/bowl/vessel. Add salt to the rim (optional)
Using a spoon, add small avocado pieces on top. Add shrimp. Sprinkle tarragon on top. Share and enjoy!

Chili – Plant-Based Protein Cabbage Wrap

Chili made with plant-based food ingredients is a good way to add more fiber and vitamin nutrients in your diet. And it’s filled with anti-inflammatory spices that add to longevity healthy points, if that’s one of your intentional desires.

Plus it’s super easy to blend a bowl of chili together using your Magic Bullet or blender. And in this case, for cabbage wraps.

Tofu is the plant-based protein behind these chili cabbage wraps.

I grew up eating tofu regularly so I’m used to the unique texture and odd taste, but some people are not.

…And if that’s you (or who you’re preparing meals or Game Day for), a chili dish is a good way to mask tofu. Kinda like hiding veggies in kids’ dinner plates.

And chili is a great way to add in veggies like nutritious cabbage.

Besides light and good for weight loss, green cabbage is a very economical add to meals.

There are many cabbage kinds (over 400 around the world), and green cabbage is a common one, that’s easy to find in grocery stores.

It’s often confused with Iceberg lettuce that’s lighter (in weight and color). You’ll notice the difference as green cabbage gets thicker as you peel back the layers and get closer to the middle core. The ribs are more pronounced.

Also, lettuce’s season is spring and summer. Cabbage takes over in fall and winter. So you can make wraps year-round.

Both veggies are healthy, but green cabbage has more Vitamin C and fiber. It also has special antioxidants (sulforaphane). It’s in the same food family as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

And wrapped around as a hearty veggie, a chili cabbage wrap makes for good comfort food during cooler months. Lett-uce celebrate that!

Next time you’re out shopping for tortilla, you might reconsider. With cabbage, you also save grocery money making wraps as a head of cabbage can be under $2, and chili cans (or pinto beans) are pennies per ounce.

Yeah cabbage! 🥬 And tofu that’s easy to find can be pennies per ounce. It’s usually found in the refrigerated food sections near deli meat or dairy, or where you would find fresh hummus (that’s another great easy Game Day or Magic Bullet recipe you can make).

You can make this an entire meal for two (or a small family) for under $5!

So to make this plant-based chili wrap, cut up the tofu with a non-sharp or silicone spatula, or wooden kitchen tools. Whether you get the softer, firm, or extra firm tofu, it will be easy to break up even with your hands.

It will look like a little like white scrambled eggs. Drain and cook the tofu scramble. Usually around 15 minutes on medium stove heat. Tofu in the common containers has a watery substance (that actually can be whipped into dessert meringues like aquafaba in garbanzo bean cans).

So the tofu will be wet, and you won’t need to add much liquid in your cooking skillet if any. And no (olive) oil needed to prevent skillet sticking, unless you want to add for taste.

After the tofu is cooked, add and heat up the tomato sauce.

Add some of the tofu mixture to your blender with all the spices, other wet, and dry ingredients.

Then add the chili or beans. This is where a quick blender comes in handy. Blend in chili beans (pinto beans).

Pulse the blender a few times or just enough for the beans to blend. The tofu mixture will look grainy.

To save time: you can prepare your cabbage leaves while the tofu is cooking, and you can cook the cabbage leaves when you’re blending the tofu and chili.

For spicy flavors: you can add hot spices like cayenne or your favorite hot sauce. But if you want to keep it mild and then let the heat preference be per wrap, then add sweet or mild pimento peppers. They’re bright red and easy to find (on market shelves).

The best chili has all the tastes: spicy heat (cayenne, chili, onions, garlic, or other peppers), savory (cumin), sweet (cinnamon, tomato sauce), salty (salt), umami (soy), bitter (cocoa), astringent (turmeric), and sour tastes (vinegar, tamarind).

You can add or omit any ingredient, and if you go with a spice blend make sure it has cumin and peppers are a must if you want chili tastes.

I used cayenne pepper (hot), red chili flakes (mild) , and pimento peppers (sweet) to give a balanced heat. But even black pepper will work (and help activate the healthy turmeric and cinnamon if added).

Chili is so versatile to your preferences and what you have on hand.. so you do you! You can’t go wrong.

And if you like this healthy plant-based recipe idea, you may like other Magic Bullet recipes and anti-inflammatory plant-based soups, like low-sodium vegetable soup or beet red cabbage soup. 🥣

Tofu Scramble Chil Cabbage Wrap - Plant Based

This is a protein-rich plant-based meal. You can make at least 3 cups or 6 full wraps with this recipe.

Servings 3 cups

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp vinegar (white or apple cider)
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garlic flakes
1 tsp pimento peppers
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp tamarind (optional)
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt (for chili)
1 tsp chopped red onions
14 oz tofu container
15.5 oz can of chili or pinto beans
8 oz tomato sauce
1 green cabbage head
1/2 tsp salt (for cooking cabbage)

Instructions

On stove, cook chopped up (scrambled) tofu in a skillet (medium heat for about 15 minutes). Add water, if needed.
While tofu is cooking, prepare cabbage wraps. Pull apart cabbage and wash.
When tofu is about cooked ready, add/heat up tomato sauce and spices, and bring to a light boil. Take the tofu skillet off the stove and let cool.
On stove, cook cabbage wraps in a separate pot (or pour tofu mixture in a big bowl and rinse out skillet to add cabbage wraps). Cook cabbage in water and about 1 tsp of salt until soft. Place cover or lid over skillet or pot. Tip: You can use the entire or part of the cabbage core to weigh down the cabbage leaves in a cooking pot as they tend to float up. After cooked, to dry the cabbage, place them on paper towels that you can re-use.
In the blender, add about half-full warm tofu mixture and the remaining spices, wet, and dry ingredients. Add all the chili beans/can or until the blender is full.
Quick-pulse blend a few times. Add a little more of the tofu (chili) and shake the blender by hand or pulse blend a few times on the base, depending on the final tofu texture you want. If you shake by hand, you'll get a more crumbly tofu vs. pureed tofu from machine action.
Add blended tofu chili to individual cabbage leaves to make wraps. You can add the remaining tofu and any remaining chili to the blender. This should make 3+ cups of tofu chili that can fill at least 6 full cabbage wraps. You can save the additional cabbage for a soup or freeze for another time.

Gingerbread Cookie + Anti-Inflammatory Living

Gingerbread cookie is a non-negotiable for me. It’s a happy holiday cookie tradition.

…For you too?

My healthier (but delectable) recipe version is below (that doesn’t compromise taste!).

This is a sweet tray of puffy and light bread cookies. There are 12 regular cookie cutter size and 10 smaller ones (22 cookies total) that took 12 minutes to bake in 325°F/165°C. B-ready?

These are healthy conscious cookies that you can learn more about below.

Jump to Recipe

…Because I think healthy ingredients are delicious and belong in everything happy food made.

And the first question I ask myself is: does this recipe have any anti-inflammatory food value?

And if the recipe calls for sugar, butter, or flour, how can I get by with as little of it without compromising taste and texture?

…Especially because I discovered adult eczema in 2020, and in 2021 when I ended up in the hospital emergency room from skin inflammation, as a recurring second eczema flareup.

But before those 2 years I was already passionate about an anti-inflammatory diet for prevention reasons.

….And thankfully from health awareness and better lifestyle choices, haven’t felt the irritated skin effects since those stinging first years.

I’ve stayed food conscious and haven’t given up non-negotiable happy sweet foods… that would be a life not worth living (in my opinion).

But I’ve learned how to not tip-the-scales with food. Everything in moderation still (and even more as you age).

…And you can adopt an anti-inflammatory lifestyle if you’re wanting to optimize longevity and be more kind to the body we care for. You and I only get ONE

Reading healthy diet books is something I’ve been passionate about since I was a young adult.

Today I’ve zero’d in on a few for life…

The anti-inflammatory diet is forefront. It makes healthy sense to me and in my life where all signs pointed down that path.

I think for everyone that follows, destiny leads you down your best road.

…And after my real life eczema experience, I was convinced eating and living anti-inflammatory year-round was the #1 plan.

An anti-inflammatory diet includes plant-based foods and a lot of the same foods you’d find on a Mediterranean diet… In case you’re wondering what diets it’s kissing cousins closest to.

I like how the diet has little case “a” for “anti” as it encourages food variety choices in specific food categories. Our bodies opt for (and crave) biodiversity in our biomes.

In anti-inflammatory diets, the biggest difference is the focus is on preventing foods that cause daily inflammation.

…Like granulated sugar and gluten flours are common big offenders… and then as each person is different, there are specific individual foods you learn about with your body, as you go and test.

And as funny as life can be… of course, I turned out loving baking… and SWEETS! Challenge-ON.

And at first I learned the hard way.

Because when you’re first learning to bake, you find ingredients that work foolproof to achieve the cake or cookie you want after it comes out of the oven.

And there’s not usually an easy baking path (or many recipes out there) making treats we’ve come to love out of healthy food substitutes that taste just as good!

So then you end up with powdered sugar for icing or vegetable shortening for texture.

But I slowly learned that didn’t have to be the only way.

Like learning to ride a bicycle or ice skate…

It took time for me to tweak and test and learn what healthy and creative paired ingredients would work to not compromise textures and tastes.

Sometimes it took many fails to find wins in the oven.

And I have high sweet taste bud standards.

…’Cause I was raised on all those processed American sweets that were allowed in my weekly childhood diet.

But then daily I also learned about healthy foods from my mom’s balanced dinner plates of protein, veg, and carbs… and I kept my gourmet ox tail, squid soup delicacy, and trying persimmons at home experiences to my young self.

Because back then, no one my age wanted to stick out. And I knew my food experiences were so different than my classmates.

Especially when I had whole wheat bread sandwiches I wanted to hide on school field trips, when white bread was the glorified lunch bag sandwich.

I survived those times and forgot all about them. The were overshadowed by all the happiness I felt going to the grocery store and seeing food variety and abundance.

…Mostly the kid accepted snack kind that kept me happy for days.

…Like Twinkies, and Ho-Hos.

When I was younger, I would’ve been thrilled if you added a drip sugar IV to my veins,

Cookies especially were my weakness (and still are my faves today).

So as you’d imagine, I’ve tasted a lot of cookies in my years. And on my journey, I went in search for the least fat and sugar (healthiest) cookie! 😋

And then gradually evolved to sourcing sweet ingredients and making my own batch of cookies from scratch.

This is where a homemade gingerbread cookie is still hands-down the one that makes me the happiest with the balance of sugar and spice… and my cookie version is actually more aligned to a Chai tea spices.

…And goes great with a cup of Chai. 🫖

But it’s definitely a cookie in every sense where it has some (but a lot less) butter and sugar.

From taste and texture, you’d never know it has less sugar and less butter than most comparable cookies out there.

And that’s good (for the body’s health) because when you eat less sugar, you crave less.

Because sugar is still fact-fully known to be an addictive substance, like a drug.

Sweet addiction can come from a batch of cookies.

So often I use honey, fruit, and monk fruit that are anti-inflammatory good and work for many bakes.

But not great for a traditional gingerbread cookie.

…So cutting down the sugar and butter is the best bet… and especially if you don’t want to tip-the-inflammatory-scales.

That’s the game I play every time I eat something with sugar. And is the game that many of play to some degree without knowing it.

They’re hidden inside the body and can develop into chronic diseases like Diabetes 2 fastly on the rise.

Balancing blood sugar is at the heart of may health issues.

So every little bit of healthy effort, helps. And for building good habits. Of course the sugar compromise took experimenting with and my sweet desire switch didn’t happen overnight.

But these days, you’ll find me adding granulated sugar rarely… with a few bakes like a small brown packet for scones that makes 8 pieces. It just wouldn’t be the same crunch and joy without.

And adding 1/4 cup sugar plus some candy zhugh for a gingerbread cookie recipe this size to make a worthwhile joyful tray. 🍥

…We’re born with sweet taste buds on the front of our tongues for a reason.

But in my lessons learned, you don’t need to add powdered sugar icing that takes a high amount of sugar to make a little impact. And that adds to sugar addiction points if you’re counting.

You also only need 2 pats (2 Tbsps) of butter and NOT a whole stick for decadently good cookies!

Shifting butter also works toward a better anti-inflammatory mission.

During the year (and out of comfort food weather), I make no-butter cookies subbing in healthy oils like in a buckwheat ginger snap or a no-bake matcha cookie.

Remember “everything in moderation.”

My motto version: enjoy a sweet and then eat some carrots in between. And better yet, bake in some carrots (or your go-to list of anti-inflammatory foods) in your sweets. 🥕

When you use rainbow-healthy 🌈 ingredients that can help lower your grocery bill (I find), you can make your own food dishes and baked goods that make your mouth sing and smile.

And as win-win, you’re winning anti-inflammatory points when you partner with your body’s healthy tastes. 😊

Like when you add anti-inflammatory spices to a lower fat gingerbread cookie. 🫚🧡

Gingerbread Cookie - Low-Fat

This is a delicious gingerbread cookie that is more cake-bread-like and full of warming spices.

Servings 14 cookies

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

2-1/4 cups whole wheat and all purpose flour
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 egg beaten
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1-1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom (optional)

Instructions

Fully combine ingredients to make cookie dough. It will look like moist cookie crumbs.
Add dough to plastic wrap and tightly wrap pace to make a rectangle.
Refrigerate for at least one hour. The longer you let the dough rest, the spices will aromatically meld in (for up to a week in the refrigerator)..
Roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookie shapes. This will make about 14 regular sized cookies.
Preheat oven (and refrigerate cookie tray while waiting for preheated oven to heat up).
Bake on 325°F/165°F for 10-15 minutes. Cookie bottoms will have darker baked brown marks.
After cookies have cooled, you can add icing. Icing: melt white chocolate in a double broiler. To make more, add a small amount of refined coconut oil.
Smear white chocolate to tops of cookie and zhugh with decorations while the chocolate is not set.

Cranberry Pumpkin Trifle Dessert – Healthy and Easy

Cranberry pumpkin trifle is a healthy and tasty sweet treat snack that’s good for the gut where Greek yogurt is the white creaminess you can’t wait to dip your spoon in. And it’s a no-bake easy dessert (for brunch?) that you can make with 10-minute simple assembly.

This makes a great in-between dessert (amuse bouche) go-to… with sweet and sour-tart vibes infused. 🧡

This is a tasty way to keep celebrating and still enjoy food with heavy feast menu days that the holiday season is peppered with. 🎉

When I worked in catering planning, building in extra food touch point details won points with hosts and guests.

Like a special dish add or an amuse bouche (mouth amuser appetizer).

And if you’re feeding guests or hosting a party, small details like an across-the-board zhugh topping are a great way to impress them with very little work.

In an individual dessert like a cranberry pumpkin trifle, the multi-layer effect looks inviting to bite into.

The contrasting taste pairings and rainbow-y colors do the work for you.

And goes well on a food table in individual glasses … oui?

And the other reason a trifle is great is it’s just 10-minute prep work.

It can be enjoyed for no occasion at all…

Like for a great breakfast treat as a starter before your activity day, hike, or physical exercise.

Or anytime of day snack.

I like to have them ready for a Sunday brunch.

The ingredients are simple: canned pumpkin, cranberry sauce, Greek yogurt and orange zest.

And if you’re a bit like me, you want to know all the ingredients before you decide to make a recipe.

✅ You want to know if you have them on hand.

Nothing worse than getting excited about a food dish or gathering all the ingredients, and then not having a primary ingredient on hand.

✅ I also look at the ingredient list to see if they are ingredients I want to use for healthy reasons.

✅ And food ingredients that excite. 🥳

Then when all the checks are there, that’s when the prepping can begin.

The party is when it all comes together.

Success is when there’s a tasty pair duo or combo… Or in this case, it’s a pumpkin-cranberry-orange trio. 🎶

You can hand spoon layer the pump-o-cran trifle.

You can use store-bought or pre-store in freezer yogurt and oranges.

The frozen orange won’t be as vibrant fresh as fridge fresh oranges, but it could save you a trip of foraging.

Storing up can last you though the winter. That’s how we can be one with nature 🧘🏻‍♀️ and more like our foraging squirrel friends than we think. 🐿️

Both the pumpkin and cranberry are convenient cans you can store in your kitchen pantry.

It’s a myth that cranberry or pumpkin are seasonal foods. They’re available on middle aisle shelves all the time so you can get when them on sale if you want. And during the end-of-year months, it’s hard not to bump into them near end-of-aisle checkout areas.

And if you’re doing low-sugar, look for frozen whole bags of cran-berries that are wildly healthy like most berries that are full of polyphenol anti-inflammatory goodness.

You can make your own cranberry sauce. And then store the whole berries and extra sauce in your freezer.

Whole pumpkin is similar has similar healthy and easy vibes. It’s adds beta carotene and the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E to complement an anti-inflammatory diet.

A-C-E was one of my earliest healthy food acronyms I learned that still has longevity (in A-C-E foods and my memory). 😊

And canned (pumpkin) that’s in puree versions ready-to-use is conveniently on most grocery shelves 365 days a year.

It has many healthy uses…

Like pumpkin is also great in a baking recipe. It’s my favorite Thanksgiving pie… maybe you too? And no-baking needed recipes like pumpkin mousse or chocolate trifle with pumpkin.

Year-round, I like to make easy pumpkin pasta sauce.

It’s a good alternate or change up from tomato sauce… and because tomato sauce is acidic.

If you’re trying to reduce heartburn symptoms, then that’s one easy swap you can make.

Also, pumpkin has a mildly sweet taste, pairing well with the same herbs and spices (as tomato sauce) like oregano and basil.

But I like to punch it up with pungent sage too. ⚡️

And if I’m sweet baking with pumpkin, I usually pair with ginger spice.🫚

Pumpkin sauce is also a glowing orangy-color that lights up faces. 🎃

On days you need energy, pumpkin can help you along with a bowl of pasta. And if you make your own homemade pasta (or eat egg yolks) then you’re getting B12, B6, and B2 from the egg yolk that plays well together to create food syn-energy. 🔋

Then with extra leftover pumpkin, you can see how that all comes together in this tasty cranberry pumpkin trifle dessert.

Cranberry Pumpkin Orange Trifle

Tasty and easy to make for holidays and everyday.

Author Brandy @ Health Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

thick Greek yogurt
cranberry sauce
canned pumpkin
1 orange (Navel and Cara Cara sweet oranges work well)
molasses drizzle or nuts (for additional zhugh)

Instructions

Layer pumpkin, cranberry, and yogurt. Zhugh with orange zest.
Drizzle with molasses or zhugh with chopped nuts (optional).